MADRID, Nov 17: World anti-doping officials adopted a revised set of rules and sanctions on Saturday, including stronger penalties for aggravated offences and reduced punishments for athletes who help authorities catch other drug cheats.

The new World Anti-Doping Code was approved on the final day of a three-day international conference on fighting performance-enhancing drugs in sports. It will go into effect on Jan 1, 2009, after sports bodies have had time to implement them.

“Nobody thinks the code we adopted today is the final word or the perfect way of dealing with it, but it’s a big improvement on what we had,” outgoing WADA president Dick Pound said. “It sends a message to the public that we remain firm in our resolve.”

Later Saturday, the WADA foundation board was to elect a successor to Pound, who is stepping down after eight years at the helm of the body. Former Australian finance minister John Fahey was the only candidate, although European governments have sought to nominate former French Olympic hurdles champion Guy Drut as a last-minute challenger.

The WADA code, which first went into effect in 2004, is the centrepiece of harmonised drug-testing rules across all sports and countries.

“While we can be understandably proud, I think it’s also fair to say that the fight against doping is a living exercise,” Pound said. “It will never cease. There will always be people out there who will break the rules. It will continue to require unwavering vigilance and the willingness to tackle those people who are the sociopaths of sport – they’ll always be there.”

Among the most significant changes is the rule allowing for a four-year suspension – rather than the standard two-year ban – for a first doping offence in the event of “aggravating circumstances.”

That would include cases of athletes using or possessing multiple banned substances or being involved in a large doping scheme. It also deals with cases where the performance-enhancing effects remain in the body for more than two years, which could cover certain steroids.

The new code also includes incentives to alert authorities to doping violations or to admit doping. A ban could be reduced by 75 percent for any athlete who assists officials in finding other cheats, and admitting to drug use before testing positive would cut a potential ban up to 50 percent.

Also, athletes will be considered guilty of a doping violation if they accumulate a combination of three missed tests or failure to provide information of their whereabouts within an 18-month period. Athletes can be suspended immediately after a positive ‘A’ sample.

Following objections on Friday by several international sports federations, the WADA board made a few changes to the final document that was ratified.

The IOC and other bodies were opposed to a provision that would bar any country which fails to adopt the UNESCO anti-doping convention from bidding to host world championships after 2010. Officials said that would penalize athletes for their governments’ inaction.

The rule was watered down to say sports bodies “will do everything possible” to award championships to countries which have complied with the doping treaty.

However, countries which fail to apply the rules will be barred from having representatives on the WADA board or executive committee.

And following complaints from soccer governing body FIFA and other team sports, WADA agreed to further discussions on the provision that athletes serving doping bans should not be allowed to train with their teams.

“I don’t want my kid practicing every day for a team with someone who’s been suspended for drug use,” Pound said.—AP